PNB Chapter 146 Temporarily Staying in the Palace
Chapter 146 Temporarily Staying in the Palace
Duan Zhi'an clenched his fists, his brows furrowed, and his mind raced, searching for a solution.
The Wen family has been a distinguished family for generations, with intricate connections and countless vested interests. If the emperor were to execute their entire clan, the court would inevitably be thrown into turmoil, and it's hard to guarantee that certain powerful families with vested interests wouldn't rebel.
A light punishment is possible, but it would be difficult to explain to the people.
If he were to speak in favor of the Wen family, given the Emperor's temperament, he would certainly suspect that the Crown Prince was indeed involved.
The Second Prince is currently in the palace. Although he is sickly, he is still a proper prince.
Furthermore, with Consort Yu's unborn child due soon, many of the Third Prince's former supporters in the court were eager to make their move.
If a prince is born, it will be even more likely to target the crown prince.
He needed to protect the Crown Prince's position and also Wen Qian.
Duan Zhian glanced at the dragon throne; the emperor's eyes still held murderous intent.
This is probably not something he can resolve with just a few words.
As if sensing his gaze, the emperor turned to look at him and said coldly, "Grand Tutor, it seems you have something else to say?"
Duan Zhian remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "A country cannot stand without laws. Countless soldiers have died or been wounded on the borders, and the people are suffering everywhere. The Wen family is certainly guilty of a capital offense..."
He paused for a moment, then said, "But the Wen family is a century-old clan with many other prominent families connected to it, including some with kinship ties to the royal family... If we were to impose collective punishment, it might cause further unrest."
The emperor stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife, and said in a deep voice, "Is the Grand Tutor pleading for the Wen family? Or is he unwilling to remove the Crown Prince's wings?"
The emperor's dissatisfaction was quite evident in his words.
Ning Zhi remained kneeling and said, "Father, the Grand Tutor had no such intention."
Duan Zhian slowly lowered his head: "Your subject... is indeed pleading for the Wen family."
The court immediately erupted in discussion, and Ning Zhi turned to look at him, quite surprised.
Their eyes met for a moment, and then Duan Zhi'an said, "But I plead for only the Wen family."
No one knows why he pleaded for him or for whom.
The court officials all looked puzzled, but they all remained silent, waiting for the emperor to speak.
The hall was deathly silent; the emperor's eyes were cold, as if he were weighing his options.
He didn't care who Duan Zhi'an was pleading for; he was only considering what Duan had just said.
The Wen family has countless collateral branches, and their marital ties involve a large number of important officials.
This is a thorn that the late emperor wanted to remove even when he was still alive. But it was incredibly difficult to find an opportunity to eradicate it completely. Now that an opportunity has arisen, its branches and veins have spread into the imperial family, making it difficult to sever...
If we were to truly punish those guilty through collective punishment, I fear the hearts of the officials would be in jeopardy.
If the crown prince seizes this opportunity to rise in power and usurp the throne...
After thinking for a moment, he slowly spoke.
"In the Battle of Fengyu Pass, Wen Ziyuan, the commander of the Wen clan, deserted his post. The evidence of the Wen clan's unauthorized forgery of weapons is irrefutable. The country cannot be without laws, and I cannot tolerate this. However, considering the loyalty and devotion of their ancestors to the late emperor, it is a misfortune for their family to suffer such disgrace. To honor our ancestors, they may be spared the death penalty..."
"By imperial decree, the members of the Duke of Wen's family shall be executed on a selected date, their hereditary titles stripped, the women of their clan exiled to Lingnan, and the men stripped of their official status and sent to the army. Their descendants shall be barred from entering the palace or holding official positions. Other related individuals may be dealt with as they are discovered. This case shall be handled by the Crown Prince. All officials must provide full assistance and ensure no mistakes are made."
Ning Zhi cupped his hands and said, "Your subject accepts the decree!"
The assembled officials in the hall bowed and said in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Duan Zhian tensed up, but remained silent.
The women of the tribe, though not guilty of a capital offense, could be exiled...
The courtiers slowly withdrew, but he remained standing in place.
"Why doesn't the Grand Tutor retreat?"
"His Majesty has not yet granted my request. Could you spare one person?"
"My decree just now already granted the Ministry of Justice leniency. Does the Grand Tutor intend to protect Duke Wen himself? Or does he have some dissatisfaction with my decree?"
"That's not the case. His Majesty's decision is wise. It's just that the man may not be able to bear the hardship of exile."
"Judging from this, it is a woman."
The emperor spoke without much inflection, but his mind was filled with thought.
Hearing that Duan Zhi'an was related to a legitimate daughter of the Wen family, he even stepped in to help the Wen family out of a predicament when they held a banquet.
As expected, Duan Zhi'an cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to implore you to spare Wen Qian, the wife of the Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Pingnan."
"Wen Qian?"
The emperor's gaze was deep, his fingers lightly tapping the dragon throne as he slowly asked, "Is she related to you in any way?"
"......Yes."
"Grand Tutor, you are a man of great loyalty and righteousness, which I greatly admire. However..." The Emperor looked at Duan Zhi'an in front of the palace, "If I grant your request today, won't everyone come to me to plead for you tomorrow? The Prince Consort of Nan Commandery, the Marquis of Yongle, the Chief Justice of Qi... these are all relatives of the Wen family by marriage."
Duan Zhi'an remained silent for a moment, and was about to speak again when a eunuch suddenly entered the hall to report—
"Your Majesty, General Li Zhijing of the Left Guard requests an audience."
The emperor raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment he said calmly, "Summon them."
The palace doors opened, and Li Zhijing entered the hall somewhat hastily and kowtowed: "Your subject Li Zhijing pays respects to Your Majesty and Grand Tutor."
The emperor stared at him, his tone ambiguous: "You've come to the palace now, perhaps also for Wen Qian's matter?"
Li Zhijing cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Your Majesty is wise. I have come here today not to interfere with the punishment of the Wen family. I simply wish to report something to Your Majesty."
"What's the matter?"
Li Zhijing said solemnly, "The Crown Princess has long severed ties with the Wen family. Her fate should not be discussed with the Wen family. I beg Your Majesty to make the right decision."
The emperor frowned: "Sever ties? Do you have any evidence?"
“There is one witness, who is outside the palace at this time.”
The emperor waved his hand, signaling the palace doors to open, and the people outside bowed their heads and entered.
Dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), she slowly entered the hall with a calm and composed expression. She bowed and said, "Your subject, Jiang Mian, daughter of General Jiang Xun, pays her respects to Your Majesty."
Women rarely appeared in the imperial court.
"Jiang Xun's daughter?"
The emperor scrutinized him for a long time before saying calmly, "Since you are a witness, tell me your story."
"I witnessed it with my own eyes at the banquet held by the Wen family. Wen Qian directly told the Duke of Wen that she was severing ties and even broke the Wen family crest. Since then, there has been no further contact between them."
"How can I know whether the so-called 'severing of ties' is just an act?"
Li Zhijing immediately said, "I swear that if I have lied, the Pingnan Marquis's mansion is willing to accept the punishment together."
The emperor stared intently at Li Zhijing, his eyes deep, without immediately expressing his opinion.
Duan Zhian, standing to the side, slowly spoke up: "Your Majesty, the battle at Fengyu Pass is urgent, and the generals are missing. Without a commander to hold the fort, Fengyu Pass will likely fall completely soon."
The emperor's gaze shifted slightly, and he looked at Duan Zhi'an meaningfully: "What do you mean by that, Grand Tutor?"
"Your Majesty believes that General Li is brave and skilled in battle, and has repeatedly lived up to expectations by accepting orders in times of crisis. Fengyu Pass is now in danger of falling. If he were to take over military affairs, he would surely be able to stabilize the situation. If General Li can defend Fengyu Pass, then we can exchange this merit for Wen Qian's life. What does Your Majesty think?"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.
Jiang Mian stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.
The emperor immediately realized Duan Zhi'an's intentions.
Once you go to the front lines, it's not something that can be done overnight.
He simply wanted to buy time so he could secretly escort Wen Qian to safety. With more time, there would be more room for maneuver in the matter.
But what he said wasn't without reason. There were very few generals in the court capable of handling the important task of guarding the pass, and now, in this dangerous situation, no one dared to volunteer.
If we could take this opportunity to send Li Zhijing, that would be a good plan.
However, if he were to die on the battlefield, the court would lose a great general.
The atmosphere became tense for a moment.
After a long silence, the emperor turned to look at Li Zhijing: "General Li, what do you think?"
Li Zhijing knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Your subject is willing to lead the army to defend the Fengyu Pass border."
"Do you know that if you are not careful on this journey, you will be doomed forever?"
"Your subject understands."
The emperor remained silent for a moment, then made up his mind and said, "In that case, I will issue an edict today appointing you as the commander-in-chief. You may select other personnel to cooperate with you, carrying my verbal instructions. If you can stabilize the situation and return safely, I will pardon Wenqian."
After saying that, he repeated, "Remember, I said that only those who return safely will be pardoned."
Li Zhijing clenched his fist, knowing that the matter was already settled: "Your subject obeys the decree."
The emperor added, "But before you return, there are many opinions in the court, and I need to give an explanation. So let her stay in the palace for the time being."
After saying this, he was about to leave when Duan Zhi'an quickly followed up, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is in poor health and may have contracted an illness at Zhaoming Temple some time ago. If the General is to go on a campaign, he should also make sure his wife is taken care of so as not to be distracted. May I order someone to take care of and treat her?"
The emperor paused, then stopped arguing and nodded, saying, "Since you are related to her, I will entrust this matter to you."
"I accept your order."